Okay so here are some of the things that I have learned while living here that may be useful for people who are wanting to study abroad or if people want to visit Australia in general.
1. For those of you who are like me, avid coffee drinkers, the coffee here in Melbourne is different. Instead of your normal filter coffee, the coffee here is espresso based. When I asked for a coffee with soy milk, they asked if I meant a latte. Filter coffee is not a thing here unless you buy your own french press and coffee grounds. Most people here who make coffee at home use instant coffee. I am not a big fan of instant coffee so I just use my french press. With that being said, the cappuccino's and latte's are AMAZING. It's an art here where they make pictures with the foam and grind chocolate and put cinnamon on top. It is pricey and will cost you about $4 for a small amount of coffee.
2. Internet. It's not like the U.S. where when you pay monthly you get unlimited data usage. I pay $40/month for 30gb of internet. You would think that is enough but just streaming video on the internet or using Skype takes up a lot of data. Don't even bother downloading it takes too much of your internet away. It's like that for all of Australia. Internet is expensive and you get limited usage. There are not coffee shops that you can go to like Starbucks where they have free wifi( the Starbucks here you have to pay), there are not that many places where you can get free wifi. If you live on campus, its still not free. Unless you go to the library but they block a lot of websites.
3. Melbourne. Melbourne is the 8th most expensive city in the world, 7th is Sydney. What this means is that you will be paying a lot FOR EVERYTHING! Shampoo costs $8 at most stores, jeans cost $50, going out for dinner for one person is usually $15-20. This may not seem like much but this is the cheapest cost for these items. So everything adds up. Rent usually starts from $220/wk, you can find some places for $175-180 which is really good deal, but that will be for a shared house where the only privacy you have is your own room. They say the average single person pays $1580 a month just to live here
4. Transportation. Transportation is really expensive, hopefully you will be eligible for a Concession card(student discount card). If you don't get a concession card, it cost $7/day to use the trains, trams and buses for more than two hours. That is only if you are using zone 1. If you use zone 1 &2 it will cost $11/day. If you get a concession card, it will be only $4/day for zone 1 and $6.50/day for zone 1 &2. So try to get your classes done in fewer days to spend less money or buy a bike. The trains/trams/buses stop running around midnight. Using a cab will cost you $20-$40. To get more information go to metlinkmelbourne.com.au
5. Weather. So the weather is opposite of the U.S. It gets cold around March-October and it gets HOT November-February. The weather in Melbourne in the winter is cold. It stays around 40-50 degrees. It rains a lot so bring rain boots and umbrella's. The summer is REALLY hot! Just bring shorts and t-shirts.
6. Alcohol. You start drinking at 18. The liquor here is crazy expensive. To get a margarita at a bar costs $18. For a voldka cranberry it's about $10. For beer its $8.50. I stopped drinking mixed drinks and stick to cider, beer and wine. Cider is AWESOME! It's not big in the states so take advantage of it here.
Well, that is enough advice I feel like giving right now. I will be posting more pictures soon. Thanks for following :)
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